Patent · US Expired

High fiber count, compact, loose tube optical fiber cable employing ribbon units and flexible buffer tubes

US6292611A · kind A · utility

20Cited by
8References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 2, 2001
Grant dateSep 18, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 2, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/44384
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical fiber cable includes a central strength or structural member, buffer tubes of the desired flexibility are S-Z wound around the central member with a predetermined lay, preferably with alternating single turn S-Z lays and the buffer tubes loosely receive optical fiber ribbon stacks, the pitch of the twist being selected to provide a predetermined ratio of the pitch of the buffer tube lay. The wall thickness of the buffer tubes is selected to provide the desired buffer tube strength and crush resistance, and the diameters of the buffer tubes bores are selected in relation to the size of the optical fiber ribbon stacks so as to provide a predetermined clearance. The clearance C is between about 1 mm and about 2 mm with the relation: EQU C=(T.sub.I.sup.2 -W.sub.R.sup.2).sup.1/2 -H.sub.R Where T.sub.I is the inner diameter of the tube, W.sub.R is the width of said stack and H.sub.R is a thickness of the stack.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.